2024 Badette

The 2024 Château Badette is terrific, with ripe blackberry and darker cherry fruits as well as spicy wood, tobacco, and obvious crushed stone-like minerality. It shows the fresher, focused style of the vintage and is medium-bodied, has integrated, juicy acidity, and ripe tannins. It's beautiful stuff and a great achievement in a challenging vintage.

Attractive deep ruby in colour, charred sandalwood oak on the nose, and although this smoky character is also evident on the palate, it is not overpowering, and adds depth and a touch of sweetness, acidity well handled, this is an enjoyable wine that does not need to wait to be drunk - perhaps a year or two after bottling at most. 60% new oak. 45 hl/ha yield, Arnaud Vandenbogaerde owner of this 9ha estate. An estate that I have found inconsistent between vintages, but well handled in the challenges of 2024.

The 2024 Badette has a composed bouquet with dark berry fruit, touches of mocha and light potpourri aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly candied entry, light tannins and it's a little oaky toward the finish. Give this two or three years in bottle because it should knit together with time. Indeed, a second bottle toward the end of my tastings demonstrates more composure.